Damien Corvin believes the gap between starting out in Northern Ireland and building a career is beginning to narrow.
He is a full-time professional wrestler and head coach at the Relentless Pro Wrestling Academy in Larne.
Corvin says aspiring wrestlers no longer necessarily have to move away to turn wrestling into a career: “It’s very, very possible to be a full-time pro wrestler, for this to be your full-time job while still living in Northern Ireland.
“You can travel the world as an independent pro wrestler.”
Corvin has done that himself, wrestling in India, France and Switzerland, as well as across the UK and Ireland.
He says the opportunities available to those starting out in Northern Ireland have improved significantly in recent years.
“We’re giving these guys a platform to try out new characters, to try out new moves, to see what works, and get them in front of an audience,” he said.
“Just watching them get that little bit better every single week is amazing as a coach, but it also leads me to have high hopes for the future of what we can do in Northern Ireland wrestling.”
